Tourism in London - statistics & facts

London plays a vital role in supporting tourism in the United Kingdom. In particular, the city is the main gateway for international travelers visiting the UK. When looking at the ranking of the leading UK cities for international tourism in 2021, the capital reported more inbound visits than all other major destinations combined, a difference which was even greater prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While most inbound visits to London came from leisure travelers, the city is also an important business tourism hub, being listed among the leading destinations for business conventions worldwide in 2021. Furthermore, London was estimated to be the most visited city by digital nomads globally as of March 2022, ahead of Bangkok, New York City, and Berlin.

Tourism in London during the COVID-19 pandemic

While London’s contribution to tourism in the United Kingdom remained significant also during the health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the city’s inbound travel market hard. In 2021, overseas tourist visits to London were 87 percent lower than in 2019, with the international tourist expenditure in the UK’s capital dropping by roughly 13 billion British pounds over the same period. On the other hand, domestic tourism in the city recovered faster than international travel. Between April and December 2021, domestic overnight trips to London totaled nearly 15 million, the highest figure recorded in a decade. As a result of the increase in national tourism, spending on domestic overnight trips in London also peaked in 2021.

What are London’s most visited tourist attractions?

London’s rich cultural heritage is one of the main drivers of tourism for the UK’s capital. Apart from being home to some of the Royal Estate establishments, the city boasts world-famous museums and galleries, such as the Natural History Museum, the British Museum, and the Tate Modern, ranking among the most visited tourist attractions in the United Kingdom in 2021. When focusing on London’s most popular paid attractions, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew recorded the highest attendance that year, followed by the ZSL London Zoo and the Tower of London. In 2021, however, the number of visits to leading tourist attractions in London still lagged pre-pandemic levels, despite experiencing an annual increase.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Mar 18, 2024

Key insights

Number of international tourist visits to London
16.1m
Number of inbound overnight stays in London
31.3m
International tourist expenditure in London
14.1bn GBP
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Cities and towns in the United Kingdom (UK) ranked by international visits in 2019 and 2022 (in 1,000 visits)

Destinations

Leading UK cities for international tourism 2019-2022, by visits

Spending of international visitors in London, United Kingdom (UK) from 2009 to 2022 (in billion GBP)

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

International tourist expenditure in London, UK 2009-2022

Leading city tourism destinations in Europe from 2019 to 2022, by number of bed nights (in millions)

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Leading European city tourism destinations 2019-2022, by number of bed nights

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Travel and tourism in the United Kingdom (UK)
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Museums in the United Kingdom (UK)
Museums in the United Kingdom (UK)
London as a UK tourism hotspot
London as a UK tourism hotspot

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